


The Ice Maiden's Son

by minhonew



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Elementals, F/M, Fantasy, M/M, YuYu Hakusho - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 17:09:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5710363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhonew/pseuds/minhonew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Born from the gravest sin committed by his mother, Anne, Harry is executed from his tribe at birth, having been dropped to his death by his own sister, Gemma. Fortunately, he survives the fall and is found by skilled thief, Nick, who raises him as his own. 20 years later, a seer is consulted by greedy King Robin, whose ultimate goal has always been to take over the vast lands of King Desmond. Having been given enough information about Des' true weakness, which is his unknown heir, King Robin dismisses the seer without so much as a cent as payment and starts the hunt for Desmond's son. Enraged, the seer seeks revenge by paying a visit to the rival kingdom and warning King Des himself of their impending doom shall King Robin take a hold of his son. With the aid of his allies, King Desmond gathers his powerful young warriors and sets out to reunite with his only son.</p><p>Described vaguely by the seer, Desmond's son has cold red eyes and an even colder heart. He bears the true mark of a Styles decent but the key to his involvement in the ceasing of the war lies in the ability passed to him by his ice maiden mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ice Maiden's Son

**Author's Note:**

> A little tidbit: ever since I have started writing fanfiction, way back 2009, I have always wanted to write my otp in the Yuyu Hakusho alternate universe, particularly in Hiei's backstory with my bias as the forbidden child, and I am very happy to be finally doing it now! With Zarry no less. So yeah, I'm super pumped about this! 
> 
> For those of you who have watched the anime or have read the manga, you will know how cool this'll be (think of Yukina and Hiei). To my brethren who have no idea who or what the hell a Hiei is, you will know soon enough.
> 
> Hopefully, you will enjoy this as much as I am enjoying bringing life to every single character! I will only be following the very basic plot of the manga and then adding my own personal twists along the way. I hope the summary has been clear of the main plot of this story. For any questions, just shoot me a message/comment and I'll answer to the best of my ability without spoiling anything!

_"There is a **sacredness** in **tears**. They are not the mark of weakness, but of **power**. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of **overwhelming grief** , and **unspeakable love**." _

 

It was supposed to be another ordinary, uneventful day in the village of the ice maidens, except it isn't, because the tribe leader's daughter, Anne, who is also next in line for the position, has just given birth to a boy of fire. The tiny newborn, who is supposed to be a female born with an ice maiden's blue hair and teal-colored eyes, is instead, gifted with glowing red irises and thin brown hair. Horrified, the tribe midwife hurriedly swaddles the boy in wards, effectively trapping his spirit energy in, so she can bring him to the elders without any harm.

Back at the elder's temple, Elder Elizabeth eyes her fellow elder and tribe leader, Amelia, with disdain and great disapproval for what her daughter has done. "Surely you know what is to be done, tribe leader Amelia?" she asks. "There is no exception to this. Anne has committed the gravest sin there is and she deserves to get punished for it."

Tribe leader Amelia nods, well aware of her new grandson's fate. She carefully takes the boy from the midwife's arms and cradles his warded body close to her before walking out of their temple to find her granddaughter, Gemma. On her way to their house, she spots her daughter struggling against her bonds, crying. She pauses in front of her, adjusting the bundle in her arms and letting her see her son for the last time.

"This would have been avoided had you obeyed the rules."

Anne weeps her heart out, her tears solidifying into brilliant cerulean gems and falling soundlessly against the snow-covered ground. Her baby boy is beautiful. He has such sweet eyes, round and bright, and his small nose and heart-shaped lips look a lot like Gemma's. He doesn't deserve to be punished for his mother's sin. "Please, spare him, mother. He's innocent. Take me instead."

Amelia shakes her head, teal-colored eyes boring into her daughter's identical ones, intense and unwavering. She holds her watery glance for a couple of seconds before she drops it to rest on her grandson's big, red eyes. He looks so much like Anne and Gemma that it pains Amelia to punish him for something that he has no control over. However, she knows that as tribe leader, she has to set an example to every ice maiden in her tribe that it is forbidden to be involved intimately with a man, that it is the gravest sin to their tribe—even if it means killing her own daughter's son. "He's a boy of fire. We cannot keep him. He must die."

The sound of Anne's agonized cries are the music to Amelia's footsteps as she rounds the corner and enters their house. Immediately, she spots her granddaughter Gemma seated on the floor, in front of a table set for afternoon tea, reading an old novel. Gemma looks up when she feels Amelia's presence and drops her book to the floor in her haste to pay her respects. She bows politely and proceeds to right herself up, curiously eyeing the bundle in her grandmother's arms. Gemma's eyes widen when two small hands reach up from the wriggling mass of wards to tug on Amelia's robes.

"Grandmother."

"Gemma," Amelia nods. "I have something for you to do."

The young ice maiden follows her tribe leader out of their door. She notices that they are headed to the end of their island and already feels dread settle somewhere within her for this could only mean one thing. The feeling grows, burrows deep in her gut, when she spots her mother tied to a wooden post, wailing, tiny gems glittering around her feet. Without thinking twice, Gemma runs over to Anne, her palms coming up to cup her mother's face. "Mother? Why are you crying and why are you tied up like a prisoner?"

"My precious jewel," Anne whispers softly. "My Gem—"

Anne's next words are cut off by the angered shouts of the growing crowd around them. Ice maidens are starting to come out of their homes when the news of the birth of a forbidden child has reached them. After the initial fear for their lives, knowing that a fire demon is amongst them, the ice maidens are furious to know that Anne has disobeyed their most sacred rule, especially since she is supposed to replace her mother, Amelia. To them, she is no longer fit for the position and she must be punished for what she has done and what better way to do it than to kill the product of her sin?

"Kill the forbidden child!"

Anne's eyes widen and she starts to struggle more, wanting to be freed. "No!" she cries out. By now, Anne's best friend, Lou, and her daughter, Lux, are standing beside her, murmuring comforting words to ease her pain. Anne is having none of it, though, cries a mantra of, "Don't kill him. Please. My baby boy."

Gemma is confused. She turns her head around and sees her grandmother calling for her. She nods because as much as she wants to untie her mother from captivity, she has to obey the tribe leader first. Shifting on her heels, she looks at her mother. "Mum, I have to go help grandmother with something, alright? I'll be right back."

"Gemma, wait!"

Anne smiles sadly at Gemma. "Give this to him," she says softly, leaning forward so Gemma can see the new addition to her tear gem necklaces. Before, there are only two necklaces hanging on Anne's pale neck—a tear gem from Amelia when she gave birth to Anne and one for Gemma when Anne has given birth to her. But now, there is another one, still cerulean blue and it is hanging on a black thread instead of the usual white. Gemma carefully takes the new one off, staring at her mother in question.

"Your grandmother is holding your brother."

Anne feels more tears roll down her cheeks when Gemma perks up at the mention of her new sibling, a sweet little smile stretching across her lips. However, she knows that she doesn't have to pleasure of seeing that excited smile for very long because Gemma is a smart young woman and she will figure out why these things are happening right now. Anne is helpless when Gemma backs away from her, disbelief clear in her bright eyes. She figured it out, Anne thinks to herself, pained.

"What have you done, mum?"

"Listen, Gemma," Anne instructs quickly. She pleads with her eyes, urging her daughter to understand her. "Please give the necklace to your brother. Tell him it's from me and that I love him. I love him so much and I'm very sorry I couldn't do anything to protect you both."

Gemma shakes her head and runs away from her mother, chest tight. She stands in front of her tribe leader with shaking hands. "Tribe leader Amelia."

"Gemma, your mother has committed the sin of being intimate with a man," Amelia pauses when a hushed silence falls over her tribe. She pushes the tiny newborn in the arms of her older sister and continues, voice hard, "She has given birth to a boy of fire. As her daughter, you must help in the punishment and drop this child to his death before his existence destroys our own line."

"I don't—" Gemma's voice cracks with the weight of her emotions. She looks at her brother for the first time and feels her stomach sink, seeing his rounded face of innocence. No, she thinks fervently, she will not do this. She refuses to. "He's my brother, grandmother," she whispers softly, eyes glassy with unshed tears. She stretches her arms out, offering her brother back to her grandmother.

"He isn't related to anyone of our tribe," Elder Elizabeth hisses from her place next to Amelia. Her expression is one of utter disgust. Stepping back, Amelia has her head tilted downwards, unwilling to watch the execution of her own flesh and blood. "He's born with flames. We are of ice. Gemma, you must get rid of him before he decides to get rid of us."

With shaking arms, Gemma brings her brother close, clutches him against her chest and turns her back against the cruel people that are her extended family, thinking. As much as she wants to save her brother, in the grand scale of things, his life is a small sacrifice for the greater good. His life is nothing compared to the lives of hundreds of ice maidens that will cease to exist when he grows up to be the man that they all feared—a man of destruction. As Anne's firstborn, it is by default that Gemma will succeed her when the time comes for her to step down from the tribe leader position and as such, she must always be able to think about what is good for the whole tribe, not what is morally correct to her. And so, with those thoughts in mind, trembling hands and pain in her heart, Gemma steps closer to the cliff.

"Hey, baby brother," she whispers softly, a cracking smile barely lifting the corner of her lips. She pushes the necklace into his tiny hands, watching as it glowed with energy for a minute, imprinting on him, before dimming completely. She wills herself to stare into his red eyes and commit the exact shade into her memory. "I know you can understand me. You're a smart little boy. That necklace is from mum. She wants you to know that she loves you so much and that she's sorry for what will happen."

"Gemma, oh heavens, no!"

There's a hitch in Gemma's breathing at the same time she hears her mother's desperate cry, but she continues on, her voice barely heard over the growing chants of the crowd and the rapid beat of her cold heart. "Listen to me. I know you can survive this. I know you will live. And when you do, when you get old enough, come back and finish me. It's the only way I can repent for what I am about to do to you." The little boy stops moving and stares at Gemma with his clear, ruby eyes. It looks as though he understands what is happening around him, that he has a grasp of the circumstances that are surrounding him and his birth. Gemma doesn't doubt that he does and she knows that today won't be the last time that she will have an encounter with those glowing red eyes.

Elder Elizabeth steps forward, intent on pushing the child to his death herself. She tires of this scene and wishes for it to be done with as soon as possible. The quicker they get rid of the boy, the sooner they will get rid of Anne. Such a rebel, Anne is, Elizabeth muses with irritation. It won't be such a wise move to put her in place of her mother. But Gemma, on the other hand, is perfect. She's in the right age to be molded into a leader that could rival even her own grandmother. She only needs a bit more persuasion to get her mind out of her emotions. "Quit thinking, Gemma," she barks coldly. "With every second that you are wasting, thinking of this child's life and holding it over your tribe, he is gaining more of his power. It won't be long now that he can escape those measly wards and bring us all to an end. Drop the forbidden child now!"

"Kill the boy of fire!"

"Send him to his death!"

"Spare him! Please! Don't do this, Gemma!"

With the harsh, biting wind of their island's eternal winter caressing her face in icy comfort, Gemma does not think and hugs her brother one last time before extending her arms and dropping the newborn's body. She watches, detached and blank, as her brother falls and disappears amongst the clouds. Numbly, she feels a part of her fall along with him and perish. From behind, Gemma hears her mother sobbing, heartbreaking in their pain, and she couldn't help but think that the two of them will never be the same ever again.

"I'm sorry."

 

 

 

 

❅❅❅❅❅

 

 

 

 

Nick concludes, not for the first time, that as a skilled thief, who is also a rather powerful earth demon, he should be a genius at fishing, being able to catch fish that are big enough to last him a week or so. But, no, Nick totally sucks at fishing. He's got virtually no talent for it, whatsoever. He actually wonders why he even bothers to sit out here in his grimy boat, from morning until night, sweating under the sweltering heat of the afternoon sun while waiting for that prized tug on his fishing rod to indicate that he has tricked a fish into being his food source. 

Five hours into it and Nick has had enough. With a loud huff of air, Nicks chucks his fishing rod into the water, watching with sick fascination as it sinks below the surface. This week alone, he has managed to throw three rods into the water in his frustration and it is only Tuesday. He reckons he must have a masochistic streak in him that fuels his drive to go fishing despite his obvious lack of skills.

Heaving his devastatingly empty fishing net back towards his boat, Nick grumpily pushes them in a pile on the corner. He kicks his small box of baits to the side and proceeds to row his boat to the shore, already dreading the cold meal that he will be having at home.

"Fucking fishes," he grumbles to himself, irritably moving his arms.

He has only moved about a foot across the waters when his boat is suddenly rocked violently by a force from the skies, throwing Nick unceremoniously on his knees in the middle of his vessel. It feels like something heavy is dropped onto his boat. For a couple of seconds, Nick contemplates if it is worth the effort to have a look at what is dropped, if there is one. He has a brief internal debate with himself before giving up and crawling the short distance to his fishing nets to investigate, gearing up for a fight if it is another demon that Nick stole from. Upon reaching his destination, though, Nick's hazel-colored eyes widen like saucers because cradled against the bundle of his fishing nets is a little boy, a newborn, no less.

"Well, welcome to my boat, little lad," he greets, confused. He scoops the small bundle off of the makeshift nest and proceeds to reach out with his energy. He feels a strange combination of clashing elemental energy within the child and sniffs the air. "You have a peculiar smell. Half-fire, half-ice demon."

The baby stares at Nick, his small fist shoved into his mouth. Nick takes note of the color of his eyes and swears that this tiny boy is judging him in his own way. "You have red eyes, though. Definitely more of a fire demon. Although why you came from the skies remains to be seen."

Looking up, Nick realizes that said sky has turned a touch darker during the time he spent talking to the baby, the moon shyly peeking out from behind the clouds. He reckons that he should be getting home soon because if he'd have to face another ambush by the pesky group of shapeshifters near his place, he'll go mad. With a flick of his wrist and a tiny burst of his energy, vines crawl on the side of the boat and pin the oars on each side. Feeding the flora with more of his energy, they start mimicking the motions of an arm rowing a boat and in no time the water vehicle is moving towards the shore.

Meanwhile, Nick starts unwrapping the baby in his arms. He carefully feels the strong wrapping for any break in power and gets one just below the boy's head. Nick starts there, peeling each ward off to slowly reveal a pale, chubby body of a fire demon cub, wrapped snugly in a thin blanket. The baby wriggles happily when his bonds are removed, his arms and legs flailing in the air. Looking him over, Nick can tell that the boy is only a few hours old and, as much as his shriveled heart can, he feels pity for him. An unwanted child, so it seems.

"Hello and where did you get this, fire demon?" Nick asks suddenly, his tone of voice going reverent. He gets out of the boat as it reached the shore and snatches the gleaming necklace from the baby's grip, examining it. Being a thief, Nick has very keen, discerning eyes when it comes to precious jewels. And this, without a doubt, is one of the rarest gems around. "Well, I'll be damned. What're you doing with an ice maiden's tear gem, huh kid?"

The baby squirms in Nick's arms, fussing ever since Nick has ripped the jewelry out of his hands. Nick does not notice at all, still pretty much immersed in staring at the tear gem, mentally calculating how many silver coins he will gain when he sells it on the market. It isn't until the baby makes tiny hiccupping sounds that Nick snaps out of his musings. He looks down and sees tear-filled red eyes staring back at him, a pouty bottom lip quivering. With a scoff, Nick thrusts the necklace back into the child's hand. 

"If you're going to stay with me, I will need to feed you. Where do you think I can get the money for that?"

Of course, as expected, Nick gets no reply except for happy gurgles, the little boy waving his prized possession in the air. Nick exhales a long suffering sigh and makes a detour to a comrade's place, hoping to get some form of food for the child in his arms. He passes through dense foliage, which bent out of his way at his energy's command, and walks down a dirt path towards the closest house to this part of the woods. He feels, rather than see, another demon following his footsteps, the elemental energy young and playful. Nick smirks at the familiarity of it and at the obvious attempt at stealth that the demon is failing spectacularly at.

"You have to put more effort in concealing your demon energy if you want to have a hand at surprising me, Louis."

There is a groan from a few steps behind Nick and, a few seconds later, a small boy with bright grey eyes and light brown hair is skipping beside him, struggling to follow Nick's larger steps. "You're no fun, Grimmy," the boy, Louis, whines with a pout.

Nick grimaces at the nickname. "I try not to."

Louis snorts and runs past the older demon, almost flying. In no time at all, he reaches their front door and kicks it open with a wide grin, absurdly proud of reaching their house faster than Nick.

"Show off," Nick mutters to himself, making sure to say it within Louis' hearing range. He enters the house and lets his eyes scan around for its occupants. "Hey, Jay!"

Johannah, better known as Jay around the area, is Louis's mother and a wind demoness. She has known Nick by accident when she caught him stealing the apple pie that she had left cooling down by the window. She took one good look at him and offered half of the pie with a smile. They have been friends ever since. Currently, she is wearing the same sort of kind smile at Nick as she emerges the living room.

"Nicholas," she greets cheerfully. However, her smile falters when she spots the newborn in the earth demon's arms and a confused expression replaces it. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" She beckons Nick to follow her into the kitchen.

"Where are the little devils?" Nick asks as he sits down on one of the chairs that Jay has pulled out. He lowers his arm with a tired sigh and stares at the tiny boy, who is now chewing the necklace with vigor. "Louis is getting good at masking his energy, did you know? Almost got spooked by him on my way here."

"He's been practicing a lot with his father. As for my other little buggers, Daisy and Phoebe are napping. Lottie and Fizzy are watching their shows," Jay answers. She pours Nick a cup of freshly brewed tea and arranges a small platter of sugar cookies for him. Afterwards, she throws a look over her shoulder and asks, "Honey? Milk?"

Unconsciously, Nick bounces his legs up and down whenever the baby fusses or squirms. "Just honey."

With a nod, Jay stirs a spoonful of honey into Nick's tea before heating up some of the milk that is left from her own twin babies' feeding time. She pours it into one of Phoebe's spare bottles and brings it over to the table. She passes Nick his tea and the cookies before sitting on the chair beside him and opening her arms. "He's getting hungry, give him to me."

Grateful for the break, Nick hands the baby over to Jay. "Thank you." He sips the tea and closes his eyes, the tension in his body draining.

Jay cradles the newborn gently and feeds him, grinning when he guzzles the drink hungrily. She caresses the baby's ruddy cheeks with a gentle finger and taps his nose. The baby stares up at her in wonder, big red eyes gleaming. "He's beautiful," she tells Nick sincerely. "What's this little guy's name?"

"Yeah, about that," Nick says uneasily, looking away from Jay's searching gaze, suddenly nervous. With those intense grey eyes she has that much of an effect on people, even those who are as apathetic and detached as one Nicholas Grimshaw. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" The great disbelief in Jay's tone makes Nick grimace. He raises both of his hands in surrender.

"Look, he fell down onto my boat while I was fishing and I brought him here. All I know is that he's a fire demon."

"You sure you didn't steal him?"

Nick snorts, mildly offended. "As if I'd burden myself with a child."

Maneuvering the child over her shoulder, Jay proceeds to gently pat his back, stopping only when the newborn lets out a burp. She lays him back on her arms and rocks him from side to side. She holds Nick's gaze steadily, nodding. "If that is so, what do you plan to do with him?"

There is a pause as Nick tries to come up with a solution to his current dilemma. He presses a hand to his face in thought, weighing his options in his head, each one sounding as bad as the other.

"He looks like a Harry," Jay announces suddenly, disrupting the silence of the kitchen. She smiles down the child in her arms, her eyes bright with glee.

"What?"

Jay takes the necklace gently away from the baby's fists to fasten it around his neck, tying it twice so the gem rests just pass the bottom of his throat but loose enough so he doesn't choke or feel uncomfortable about it. The fire demon begins to gurgle happily once the gem settles snug against his chest, his toothless mouth stretched widely. Jay chuckles and tears her gaze away from the baby to Nick. "We should name him Harry."

Realizing that Jay is talking about the little boy, Nick exhales a quiet breath, frowning. "If we name him, he'll be my responsibility."

"Is he not? You found him, Nicholas."

"And I intend to let others find him as well," Nick's voice goes soft towards the end. He curses himself for not sounding as confident as he feels about his decision. However, the truth of the matter is that Nick cannot possibly care for a newborn. He's too rough, hardened by the world surrounding him, and there is just no way that he'll be able to raise another living creature when he is barely surviving himself.

"But—"

"Jay, I cannot believe you are honestly thinking that I can raise that child on my own."

"But you aren't alone," Jay presses. She unconsciously clutches the baby tighter against her chest, protective. "We can help."

There is a rush of air and then Louis is at his mum's side, poking at the little boy in her arms. He looks confused but excited, almost jumping up and down in his place. "Mum, where did you get this?" he asks, poking a chubby cheek and giggling in glee when the baby starts making cooing sounds.

"Love, please go to the den and watch telly with your sisters. Your uncle Nick and I are in the middle of an important chat, alright?" Jay instructs with a sigh, shooing her son gently.

Louis visibly deflates and nods, trudging out of the kitchen with dragging footsteps. Nick stands up when Louis disappears, staring at the baby on Jay's arms. "I have to go, Jay. Keep him if you want him."

Jay looks regretful and hands the tiny baby back to Nick with a sigh. "I already have five kids to look after, Nicholas." She gently runs her hand on the baby's head, feeling his soft tuft of dark brown hair. "You know I'd absolutely take him if I could."

"Whatever," Nick scoffs, unable to help himself.

"Nick." Jay rests a gentle hand on Nick's elbow when he turns to leave. She sighs softly and Nicks waits for her to continue talking, occupying his time by staring at a particular spot on the floor. It takes her a couple more seconds to do so and she clears her throat before she talks, "Be wise with your decision, alright? Maybe this could be good. Maybe this child is what you need."

"I'll see how it goes," Nick answers in a whisper. He exits Jay's house through the back door, hearing Jay's children start to flock the kitchen soon after his departure and fire question after question at her.

Nick hears Louis's voice the most, curious as ever, and he spares a thought to wonder if this tiny fire demon in his arms will be any different when he reaches that age. Horrified with himself for even thinking that he is willing to stick around until the child reaches adolescence, Nick breaks into a run, delving deep into the forest with no destination in mind. He stops when he reaches a small secluded area hidden from view by an old oak tree. With a little bit of coaxing from his energy, Nick manages to fashion a tiny makeshift cot for the fire demon cub. It is made out of vines and leaves of the softest variety, ensuring that the baby will be comfortable in it. Once satisfied with his work, Nick gently lowers the child onto it. "There you go, kid. Get comfy."

At first, the child doesn't even bat an eyelid when Nick releases him, seemingly unaware that he is about to get abandoned for the second time in just the short span of his life. He blinks tiredly up at Nick and yawns, his mouth forming into a tiny o.

Slowly, Nick straightens back up. He takes a couple of steps away, cautious of the child's reaction. When the baby yawns once more, his red eyes disappearing behind his eyelids, Nick starts backing away quickly. He hopes to get a speedy escape from this situation and crosses his fingers that someone capable will be able to find the fire demon. Unfortunately for Nick, it is as if the child has sensed that he is being purposely discarded and starts properly crying, his tiny lungs strong as he screams out his dislike of the situation.

"Fuckin' hell," Nick mutters to himself, a deep frown etched on his face as his emotions warred inside of him. Half of him  wants out while the other is actually considering this new development. With a bit more control, he wills himself to go on and run, to leave and never look back, but he is sadly unable to. Somehow, he has unknowingly attached himself to the baby and it is now impossible to abandon him. With a heavy sigh, Nick turns around and walks back towards the wailing baby, mind set on taking him home. Perhaps from there, Nick will be able to devise a much better plan of separation from the baby.

To say that Nick is surprised to find tiny glittering gems all around the small body of the fire demon would be the understatement of the century; Nick is gobsmacked. He runs to close the distance between him and the child, ignoring the quieting cries to kneel down and collect the little spheres. He holds one up in the air, squinting at it through the soft light of the moon. It is a perfect circular gem in the most unusual hue: black. Normally, a teargem is cerulean blue because they can only be produced by an ice maiden, who possesses the coldest type of spirit energy among the elemental demons. Hence, the color of their teargems.

By now, the newborn is reduced to sniffles and he has his arms up in the air, begging Nick to pick him up. Nick looks into the child's eyes and watches with rapt attention as clear drops of his tears make their way down his red cheeks and to his chin before falling into the air and solidifying into pure black gems. A shocked gasp slips past Nick's lips and he quickly picks up all of the gems, shoving them inside his pockets before grabbing the child out of the cot. Nick feels his body shaking at the discovery.

"You sure are full of surprises, aren't you fire demon?" He asks the tiny boy, who is now on the brink of slumber. He sighs softly and gazes down at the face of pure innocence, staring into twin ruby-colored eyes. Nick's steely resolve of abandoning the child softens until the thread holding his reluctance snaps in two and he finds himself saying, "I'm sure we'll have a grand time together, kid. I could use an assistant." With that, Nick begins his trek back home, thinking that maybe Jay is right, perhaps he needs this boy and this boy needs him just as badly.

"Who knows, you might even be my very own prodigy, Harry."

 

 


End file.
